Removing artex - how do I find someone who won't rip me off

Clive · 2007-07-26T09:28:04+00:00

First a little diversion.My mother's kitchen ceiling came down as a result of a very slow leakfrom a shower pump on the floor above. Man what a mess! Boy did welaugh! Now she was told that the ceiling artex might contain asbestos.I scoffed. "They" were right. Luckily insurance paid for everything. Ithink the most expensive part of the job was paying for the men in thespace suits to remove the artex.Second diversion.My dear old Dad used to work in industrial safety and one of theirprofitable sidelines was to sell the space-suit respiratory systemsused by the people stripping asbestos. I vaguely know of "white/grey"asbestos and the very nasty "blue" asbetos from my departed Dad.Asbestos has fantastic thermal and heat resistant properties buttended to do horrible things to those who worked for years with it. Isaw pictures of men shovelling "raw" asbestos in factories. Hence,legislation to ban the use of the stuff. Don't know all the detailsabout asbestos but it kept food on our table.End of diversionsI have bought a small Victorian terrace house in which two rooms havebeen "improved" ... by artex on the ceiling. There are other rooomswith with painted anaglypta on the ceilings. It's a mess and it's allcoming off.Now, I have seen adverts for companies that "specialise" in theremoval of asbetos - and to be honest some of them look like they doit on an industrial scale for 70's built factories and office blocks.So ... and this may be the paranoia .. how do I choose a company touse? I am prepared (almost) for the job to be expensive. However, howdo I trust the results from the company when they take and analyse thesample and come back saying "oh yes, sir ... asbestos be there"? Theremoval of it seems a cosy, legislation-protected cartel to keepprices high. Believe me, I have a little understanding that asbestoscan cause very nasty medical conditions following prolonged exposure.But I'm tempted to buy a gallon of Nitromors, good goggles and hire aforced air, small...

Jul 26, 2007 20 Replies

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clot 19 years ago

I couldn't agree more. And sadly it will get worse for a long time - less science students and more of the arty farty type that seem to have difficulty with rational thought!

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Removing artex - how do I find someone who won't rip me off

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